Facts

East Indian Ocean, West Indian Ocean, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, East Pacific, Central/West Pacific

Max length

100.0 cm (39.4")

As aquarium fish

Minimum volume

Unknown

Hardiness

Average

Suitable for aquarium

Not suitable for home aquarium

Reef safe

Always reef safe

Aggressiveness

Might be aggressive towards similar species

Food

Mostly

Small crustaceans (Krill, mysis, artemia...)

Recommended

Microalgea (Eg. spirulina)

Macroalgea (Eg. seaweed / nori)

Demand a very large aquarium when fully grown

This species needs a very large aquarium when fully grown.

Exactly how big the aquarium should be is hard to say, but the size of this species is such, that it cannot normally be kept in a home aquarium.

Well established aquarium with algae

These fish should be kept in a well run aquarium where they can "graze" algae from rocks and stones.

If there are insufficient algae on the rocks, it is important to feed more frequently and supplement with algae rich food e.g. Spirulina.

Requires plenty of space for swimming.

This species revels in swimming and requires an aquarium with ample space.

Algae Eaters

Even though these fish enjoy a diverse type of frozen foods, it is imperative that its primary food, is algae based, thus ensuring that the fish`s immune system remains healthy.

This can, for example, be plant based fish flakes, Nori seaweed or similar.

Hiding places

This species needs good hiding places, for example, between live rocks.

Genus description (Naso)

To thrive, species in the Naso genus, normally demand large aquaria, both because of their size, but also to fulfil their need for swimming space.

Like other Surgeonfish, Naso, or Unicornfish, eats a great amount of algae, which should reflect in their food. They need more algae based food then other species of Surgeonfish, this one must be aware of so as not to create nutrition problems.

When newly introduced Naso can be in the aquarium without eating for some time, but they normally begin to eat within a week.

They are, on the whole a peaceful species in relation to other Surgeonfish.

It is important that one chooses a healthy individual at the petshop, i.o.w. a fish that is active, shows normal behaviour and does not look too thin. If it looks poorly one has a challenge on ones hand, especially when the fish takes its time to start eating.

Some sources report, that large Naso Surgeonfish can in some cases scratch acrylic and glass, since their scalpel grows larger then others of the species.

Family description (Acanthuridae)

Surgeonfish (Acanthuridae) live primarily of different types of algae, making it a popular choice for coral aquariums, as they help to keep the aquarium algae free.

Most Surgeonfish have a scalpel by the caudal fin, used to defend themselves. It can cause some deep lacerations, so pay attention if the fish start to fight and when handling the fish.

When in the aquarium, they will spend most of their time swimming around and nibbling the algae from the stones. Surgeonfish will rarely irritate corals or invertebrates. Large Palettes/Blue tangs can be an exception.

The Surgeonfish are not typically aggressive towards other types of fish. If more Surgeonfish are added to the aquarium, they will establish a hierarchy. It is best to add the most aggressive species last and to ensure that there are sufficient hiding places, as they prefer to have their own individual sleeping area.

If multiple aggressive species are added to the same aquarium, one runs the risk of one of them dying due to stress. One must therefore be cautious about adding multiple Acanthurus species or Zebrasoma xanthurum into the same aquarium. A combination of the different genera will normally get along well, although the more aggressive species can still be challenging.

FishBase

Aquarium trade

Yes

Distribution

Indo-Pacific: East Africa, including the Mascarene Islands (Ref. 37792) to the Hawaiian, Marquesan, and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe Island.

Tags

Minimum volume

"Minimum volume" indicates the size of the tank needed to house this species under optimal conditions.

This is based on a medium size animal, which you want to keep for several years.It might be possible to keep smaller specimens for a limited period in a smaller tank. A larger tank might be needed for fully-grown specimens.

Hardiness

"Hardiness" indicates how resistant this species is to disease and how well i tolerates bad conditions in general.
Some species doesn't handle transportation very well, but that doesn't mean that the species isn't hardy under the right conditions.

Suitable for aquarium

In this case, a "normal" aquarium is a reef aquarium with mixed corals or a fish only aquarium with an approximately salinity of 1.026 (sg) and a temperature close to 26°C.Species requiring more than a 4000-liter tank are considered not suitable for home aquarium.